How to enjoy toast

It has been too long, hasn't it? Too bad you don't have access to the many postings I've written in my head.

How to Enjoy Toast.
Don't eat toast for a long, long time. When you do, eat disappointing bread. That way when you do get some really good toast you will have a keener appreciation for the whole experience. When you finally have baked a loaf of bread that is honestly, actually good in flavor and texture, your hands will tremble with the anticipation as you carefully slice it to an even thickness. Gently introduce in into the toaster and wait to see how it comes out. Put it back in if necessary to get the proper level of brown. Upon that perfectly browned toast spread a generous layer of real butter at room temperature, covering the entire surface of the slice from crust to crust, including the crust (which is not too thick in this nearly perfect loaf). Let the butter melt and sink in, so that the surface crunches under your teeth, while the still-soft layer beneath is now infused with the melted butter. The crunch, the softness within, the butter, the flavor of the bread - those of you who eat toast casually and easily have no idea what a sensual experience it can be. It was worth the hunt for millet flour to add to the other 6 flours in the recipe.

In addition to that racy bit of oral stimulation, I have been working on my dollhouse. I got 4 kits for furniture from eBay (thus losing my eBay virginity) and ordered different size doors to see which fit which openings. So far I have built 3 of the kits and am working on the 4th, which is much more complex, requiring more input from me than just gluing and staining. I realized the other night that the part I like most of all is that I have a place where I can set up this stuff and LEAVE IT THERE. For so many years I couldn't get out the sewing machine or do a jigsaw puzzle or set up any kind of craft without having it on a shared surface like the kitchen table, thus having to put it away every time the table was needed for something else. Now I have an entire room set up just the way I want it: table to work on with a stereo and TV to entertain me, lights I can focus on my work, and nobody else needing the space for any other reason. This is so satisfying, after years of compromise - I can't tell you how delightful it is. Just having that space exclusively for myself is something I so needed. True, I'm sanding and dropping pieces of wood on the rug and making a mess, but it's my mess and I am solely responsible for it. Love it.

I bought a piano, which sounds like an extravagance, but my tax refund and bonus and a fire sale all came together to make a great opportunity. Nothing is wrong with my old one except the tone, which sounds like the piano is wrapped in layers of blankets, and I had the chance to buy something brighter so I went for it. So far no luck finding a charity to take the old one, but I have interest from an ad in the paper. I can throw in a pile of old lesson books - my kids never play, after all those lessons. I had reconciled myself to just living with this dull piano because the money for a new one could be better spent on other things, but this was a good deal. I hope it's as good a piano as it sounded in the store. It's a Pearl River - I didn't spring for a Yamaha or anything nicer, but for a lower-end piano it sounded good. But I gotta get the old one out before I can move it in. Now I'll get back to saving for college.

Speaking of college, they say there are a lot of scholarships available for kids in FIRST Robotics - I hope so. They didn't do well at the regional competition they went to last weekend - 50th out of 61 robots, but they are also going to a regional in Annapolis where they have a chance to do better. The robot was designed poorly - they went with one of the possible design choices and it was the wrong choice, but they may be able to modify by then. They did get an award for their community service projects, though. I can put a few pictures of the team up on Flickr if I remember how. The boy now has glasses and a haircut and went from hippie to nerd overnight, in looks anyway.

The girl is still looking (so she tells me) for a job and hanging with dead-end boyfriend. She thinks she might want to go to art school spring semester, but I don't think she's motivated enough to do the work to get to that point. She thinks she wants to go spend a few weeks with her grandparents in Florida to get away from it all here. I can't see that working well on either side, but maybe try 5-7 days. I still have a ticket for her that she didn't use earlier. I think she will be bored out of her mind and they will be stressed, maybe shocked by her. I have to think about it more. Lots of alarm bells go off in my head.